The Lion and the Snake
by adinfinitum15
Summary: Re-write of "A New Beginning". After the defeat of Voldemort, Harry travels back in time in an attempt to save Tom Riddle from himself and the Wizarding world from Voldemort.
1. Chapter 1

The Lion and the Snake

Ch. 1

I do not own any canon characters, settings, or events, nor do I make a profit off of this story

Tom Riddle bent down on his knees in the dusty room that he shared with five other boys in the orphanage, admiring his small collection of trophies. They weren't real trophies like the kind people receive after winning a contest. Tom's trophies were an odd collection of knick-knacks that he had taken from other orphans, usually in the spirit of revenge. He looked around the room, observing the dirt and the mess that the others had left behind in their bid to play. He was the only one who tried to keep his small section clean. Stupid children. Glancing outside, he watched the other children play outside, laughing and joking as they chased each other in yet another meaningless game of tag. Stupid children. He looked at his trophies, smiling slightly at their orderly appearance. Glancing at the clock, Tom gaged enough time to reread a few sections of his history book before he was called to dinner.

Mrs. Cole knocked on the door to the room Tom shared with several other boys before gently opening it. She smiled as she watched the small chest in front of her rise and fall, Tom's tattered history book knocked to the side. Tom held a special place in her heart. Tom was a handsome boy, a dark brunette with eyes as brown as a doe and pale skin. His innocent appearance warmed the hearts of many potential adoptive parents, but they soon abandoned any thoughts of taking him home due to the dark events that surrounded the child. He was the epitome of a problem child, there was no question about it. Tom did not actively seek out to bully others, but if the other children got under his skin he lashed out. Mrs. Cole remembered many a time when she had to restraint Tom herself to keep him from physically harming other children. He also had a strange quality to him that petrified the other children. Dark events seemed to center around Tom, almost as if the child possessed magic. Yet while others would have given up on the boy, Mrs. Cole sought to help him as best as she could. After he calmed down from his anger and had been punished appropriately, she would hold him in her lap and cuddle him close to her. When alone with her, Tom was a sweet but lost child who desperately wanted someone to love him as their own. He had dreams of becoming powerful and wealthy too, which worried the matron. Tom was too obsessed with being in control to make gains emotionally. But he was a young boy still, and with the right direction and love, she was sure he would flourish. Hopefully the young man sitting in her office would help him.

Mrs. Cole stroked the Tom's bangs tenderly, gazing at the boy's impossibly long eyelashes before gently waking him. His dark eyes fluttered slightly before opening, an incoherent look coming upon on his face.

"Shh…wake up honey" she whispered as he struggled to wake up. "A nice man is waiting in the office to meet you. He's a distant relative of yours." Tom looked at her, his normally stoic expression dazed and confused. His mind raced. Who on earth could this man be, and why would he want to adopt a boy as troublesome as he was?

Mrs. Cole handed him a nice shirt and some trousers, turning around as he changed. She then combed his hair, noticing the scared look in Tom's eyes.

"What's wrong?" she asked gently when Tom suddenly hugged her. She took a finger and turned his head so he was looking at her. Tears glistened in his eyes, but he didn't dare let them fall.

"What if…what if it doesn't work out this time?" Tom asked. His voice was still soft from sleep and full of worry. She picked him up and hugged him to her chest, feeling a slight wetness on her neck when Tom buried his face in it. At timed like this, she was reminded that he was just a child, not a cruel monster capable of hanging a boy's pet rabbit.

"Things will work out as God intended." She rubbed his back and set him back down on the floor as he tried to rein his emotions in control. "Just try not to be hostile towards the man."

She took Tom's hand in hers as they made their way to the office. Tom swallowed his nervousness when he saw the man in front of him.

Tom dreamed of having parents. His father would look just like him, except older and wiser. He would be wealthy and influential, the most powerful man in the community. His mother would be beautiful and kind, but intelligent. Together, his parents would give him a high social status and they would teach him to be just like them. The man in front of him was nothing like he dreamed of. This man was short and lean. His skin was pale, but it wasn't sickly looking. His hair was jet black and wild. Tom could see the edge of what looked like a scar on his forehead behind a lock of hair. Tom noticed the man's eyes the most, which were hidden behind a pair of circular glasses. The man looked young, about eighteen or twenty, but his eyes seemed haunted, as if he had endured much pain in his past. His clothes were nice, but they were average looking. They weren't the clothes of an important man.

"Mr. Peverell, this is Tom. Tom, Mr. Peverell is a distant cousin of yours who has spent the last few years living in France…isn't that right?"

"Yes, that is right. My parents lived in a town outside of Paris, along the Seine." Tom immediately noticed that Harry's accent was British, and narrowed his eyes. What did this man have to hide from him? Harry Potter noticed the shift and tried to act normal.

" If you're from France, then why do you speak in a British accent?" Tom asked, his tone accusatory. Mrs. Cole shot him a sharp glance at his tone, but the man in front of him didn't flinch.

" My parents lived in France and raised me there. However, my godfather took me in when I was five after they died. I lived here with him for a while before I moved back to France for about three years after I turned seventeen. I wanted to learn more about my family's history while I was there. I came here to find you after I learned that you lived in an orphanage. I didn't want you to grow up without a family." Harry looked Tom in the eye, hoping that the boy would believe his lies.

"Why did you come to see me?" Tom asked, knowing for sure that the man just wanted to talk briefly to him and leave. A man of his age wouldn't come to adopt him. He wasn't stupid enough to have hope for a family, but he was interested to see what the man knew of his parents.

"I was curious about you. I thought maybe you could come live with me and we could get to know each other. After all, we're family and I know what it's like to have no one. I didn't want a family member to feel the same way I did after I left."

Tom was taken by surprise, which he hated. He looked at Mrs. Cole, who nodded her head encouragingly. She bent down and whispered "Go with him. I've talked to him and he's a good man who just wants a family." Tom nodded, pent up feelings of hope arising in his chest as he sat down, waiting for Mr. Peverell to finish the paperwork to adopt him. He worried though. What would happen when the man found out about him?


	2. Chapter 2

The Lion and the Snake

Ch. 2

*Still do not own any canon property

Harry held on to the young boy's hand as he guided him to the car. Tom followed him silently, his watchful eyes calculating Harry's next moves. Harry's other hand held the small suitcase that held Tom's small collection of old clothes and a few of his books. Much to Tom's displeasure, Mrs. Cole had made him leave his trophies behind. The older woman had hugged him goodbye and had promised to write, but he knew she would be far too busy to write him. He also knew that Mr. Peverell would send him right back once he found out about his powers, so there was no point in missing the woman.

It felt odd to do this, to be manipulated by Dumbledore even when the old coot was cold in the grave. After the war had ended, Hermione convinced him and Ron to clean out Dumbledore's office and personal quarters. The casualties from the war still stung, and they all needed something to occupy themselves with. Sorting out Dumbledore's office wasn't too hard; Snape had organized it all when he took over. Dumbledore's quarters were a different story. Opening the door to his quarters took a month to figure out. Hermione devoured book after book, trying to find a spell or charm that would open the door as Harry and Ron pretended to help. Much to her disdain, it was Harry who opened the door accidently after he had uttered muggle television characters at it as a joke. The password had been to shout "Norm!", just as the _Cheers_ cast did. Dumbledore's quarters were so filthy from its years of neglect that they spent yet another week cleaning it. However, after going through the quarters, they found a treasure trove. Dumbledore's personal library was full of books, both ancient and modern. Some of the books were so rare that they made the rare books in the Hogwarts library look as easy to find as _Hogwarts: A History._ The piece of parchment that changed their lives once again was in an open book lying on his desk. Dumbledore had left them a letter, describing his efforts to turn history around. After years of research, he managed to turn a paperweight into the most complex port key created, which would allow the Golden Trio to travel to 1930's London. He suggested that Ron and Hermione establish a new life there as a way to heal from war. In a separate letter, he argued for Harry to adopt Tom Riddle and raise him to become someone better than who he was. Dumbledore argued that by doing so, Harry would be saving the lives of all of those whom he had lost. At first the trio was shocked, but after two weeks debating they decided try it. After they withdrew all the money from their bank accounts, packed all the personal items they would need, and said goodbye to their friends, they all gathered in Dumbledore's office and held on to the port key for dear life.

Harry thought he was going to be sick when they landed. While the paperweight acted like a port key, it was about a hundred times stronger than a normal port key was. Beside him, Hermione panted while Ron wretched into the grass. Dobby, who had agreed to go with Harry, was fine, much to the Trio's disbelief. The world in the 1930's, much to Harry's surprise, wasn't much different than the Wizarding World in the 1990's. While the people were different and the some of the shops weren't the same, the ways that things worked was pretty much the way it would be sixty years.

Before they reached the bank, Hermione had the foresight to see that they would need to change their last names. The Weasley's and the Potter's were well known even then, and strangers who seemed to appear out of nowhere would certainly raise more suspicion than they wanted. Harry decided to use the name Peverell because family had died out long before 1936. Ron and Hermione (who had married about a year after the war), used the common surname of Cooke. The names sounded foreign to them, and a month after they arrived they often had to remind themselves of their new identities.

While Ron and Hermione opened a new vault to put their valuables and savings in, Harry used the Peverell family vault. Anxious about a financial future, he had managed to shrink all of the galleons, Knuts, and gold that had been in his parent's vault and Sirius's vault into jam it all into three Ziploc bags that he had taken with him. However, he was astounded at the amount of gold and family treasures that had been locked away in the Peverell vaults. After taking a few journals and rare books, Harry left most of his money in the fault and opened two vaults for Dobby and Tom to use.

The Peverell's had also left land to their next descendant, which would become visible once the descendant signed a contract with Gringott's saying that he would keep the land in the family and wouldn't sell it or use it for commercial purposes. The land was located a mile or two outside a muggle village called Blythewood Springs. While the village was muggle, there was a small Wizarding community that coexisted peacefully within it. The afternoon Harry received ownership of the land, the trio flew to the land to see what was on it. There was a huge manor on the grounds, but once they went inside it was discovered completely inhabitable due to its years of neglect. However, there were two smaller houses on the grounds as well, which was easier to repair. Harry took one that was built out of light brown brick and had a dark roof. It had a spacious living room and an open kitchen, as well as four bedrooms and three bathrooms. While it was bigger than what he planned on buying, it had a homey feel to it and would support a larger family if it needed too. Dobby, at the insistence of Harry, settled into the second house, which was a small cottage that looked cozy enough. Ron and Hermione decided to buy a house closer to town so Tom would have someone close by once he started school.

Hermione and Ron decided to take jobs in the town so they would assimilate more into the community. Harry, however, decided to wait until Tom was settled in before he started to look for a job. All three were glad that they brought their O.W.L. and N.E.W.T. reports with them; Harry and Hermione were especially glad that Ron knew how to change the dates and signatures of the reports to match the time period. While the three made new acquaintances with the town's residents, they all were hesitant to reveal too much about their pasts.

After three weeks of settling into their new lives, the trio decided that it was time to track down Tom Riddle so Harry would have two months to be with Tom before schools started. Luckily, the pensive that Dobby found in the manor worked well, and Harry was able to use Dumbledore's memories to find Wool's orphanage.

The first thing that he noticed was that the place was filthy and run down. No wonder Tom hated it here, Harry thought, as he opened the door. Mrs. Cole, quite a stern looking woman, seemed to light up once she found that he was there for Tom. She briefly chatted with him, buying his story about France, before she handed him a folder with his documents and files and left to get him.

Tom was apparently ten when Harry got him, and wouldn't get his letter for Hogwarts until December. December 26. Harry mentally stored it in his head. Judging by the figures, Tom was tall for his age and wasn't underfed, which Harry was grateful for. His grades at the local primary school were strong, which wasn't surprising. However, Harry was concerned about the comments about Tom's behavior towards other children. Around the age of four, Tom had begun to display aggressive behavior towards children at school and at the orphanage. He had hung some kid name Billy's rabbit after he claimed to have been bullied, and he stole other kids' personal belongings. While he behaved for adults, he had been punished multiple times for getting into fights on the playground. Harry was definitely concerned. He wasn't too concerned about the odd happenings that were also reported in Tom's file. Harry knew that Tom was a parstlemouth, so reports of him hissing at a garden snake didn't bother him too much. And the bouts of magic didn't really concern him either. Overall, raising Tom would be a challenge, but the child was still young enough that he could learn to love again. Harry just hoped that his best efforts would be enough.


	3. Chapter 3

The Lion and the Snake Chapter 3

Disclaimer: None of J. K. Rowling's characters or places are mine and I unfortunately do not make a profit off of this

"What do you think?" Harry asked, taking Tom's suitcase out of the car. The child looked stoic and unexcited, but Harry could sense his excitement. Tom was bouncing slightly, trying his best to not look at his surroundings outright.

"It's nice" he said. The brown brick had a homey feel to it, and whoever had directed the landscaping obviously knew what they were doing. It was simple, with small trees and trimmed bushes, yet it was elegant as well. Harry just smiled and led him into the house.

He immediately liked Harry's house. While it wasn't the huge manor he dreamed of, Harry's house had a rich feel due to the decorations (all done by Hermione). The walls of the living room, kitchen, and dining area were a light beige. The couch was white, with brown chairs and a dark coffee table. There was a magnificent chandelier hanging above the dining room table, which was made of a dark mahogany. The kitchen had beautiful dark cabinets and a beautiful, stainless steel sink. Adjacent to the living room was a study that Harry had crammed a few bookshelves and a desk into. The bottom floor was also host to some paintings that Tom recognized, which added to the rich feeling. The hallway was also painted the same color, and there were a few framed photographs hanging on the walls. Tom stared at one of them. It was of a man who looked extremely like Harry twirling with a red haired woman…the woman in his nightmares. He looked at another photograph, of Harry on a broomstick playing some sort of game, and focused on the oddity that all the photos shared. The people in them _moved_. Tom just froze in shock, wondering what type of man Mr. Peverell was and how he managed to take moving pictures.

"I'm playing a game called Quidditch in that one. It's kind of like football, except you fly on a broomstick. I would tell you more, but it is easier to understand once you see a real game". Tom spun around, a startled look on his face. Harry could have slapped himself. He had meant to go slowly in explaining magic and the Wizarding World to Tom. After all, it was quite a shock when Hagrid told him about it all at once. He hadn't considered how startling moving pictures would be for Tom, especially in this time period.

"I'll explain everything later. Why don't you follow me and change out of your clothes? I'm sure I have something more comfortable for you to wear." Harry said as he led Tom to his bathroom. Tom just followed, a nervous and bewildered look on his face.

Tom seemed to like the place, which Harry was glad. He was extremely grateful for Hermione's help in decorating the rooms in his house, especially Tom's. While he would have loved Ron's idea of a Quidditch themed room, Hermione had argued that Tom would prefer a room that looked traditional and could hold a plethora of books. Harry hoped that she was right. While Harry went to adopt Tom, Ron and Dobby set up Tom's room while Hermione shopped for a basic wardrobe, books, and supplies for him. Ron and Hermione wanted to meet the boy the night Harry brought him home, but Harry thought that it would be better to wait a day or two before he introduced Tom to them. Instead, they returned home to do some work on their own home.

Tom emerged from the shower feeling cleaner than he had ever felt before. He felt a sense of dignity wearing clothes that were his and his alone as well. In the orphanage, he'd only worn hand-me-downs from the older kids. Harry was waiting for him outside the door, ready to show him his new room.

Tom's room was nicer than he could have ever imagined. The walls were light blue while the floors were dark wood. A desk filled with office supplies stood against one wall while bookshelves filled the back of the room. A large wardrobe filled with clothes sat between two of the shelves, and the drawers under it held new undergarments and socks. The bed was the nicest part though. It was a four-poster bed that had a beautiful navy bedspread on it. Above his bed was a painting of the London cityscape. A painting of the Wright brother's airplane hung above his desk. Harry watched the boy's mouth drop in awe.

"You didn't have to do this you know." Tom said, turning towards Harry.

"It wasn't a problem, I wanted to do this for you." Harry replied, looking at Hermione's work. " I… a friend of mine grew up in conditions similar to yours. He lived with his aunt and uncle though, who were quite a nasty couple. I…I saw what they did to him, how they treated him because of his magical talents. I just want to give you what my friend never had." Harry told Tom, connecting his eyes with the boy.

"Thank you." Tom whispered as he sat on his new bed. Harry wasn't expecting any types of thanks at all from Tom, so he was almost shocked. He awkwardly patted the boy on the back.

"I have to explain something to you though. You know about all those incidents that scared the others at the orphanage?" Harry looked at Tom nervously, not knowing how the boy would take it.

"What about them?" Tom was immediately on guard. He never talked about these instances. The one time he had, Mrs. Cole had almost admitted him to an insane asylum.

"There are two types of people in the world. There are muggles, who cannot perform magic. And then there are wizards, which is what we are. That's how I have moving pictures." Harry explained. Tom just stared at him. How often had Tom felt alone in his ability to do the impossible? Harry watched as Tom tried to regain his composure.

"What is the extent of my magic? He finally asked, looking at the older wizard.

"Well…we can do a lot with magic. We can use it to do everyday chores, um… we can travel with it, use it in combat, and use it to make simple, everyday things easier." Harry explained, not quite sure how to answer such a question. "I'll teach you more about magic, and when you get older you will attend a school that will teach you everything you need to know." Tom nodded, soaking up the knowledge. "We should probably go down to the kitchen though, it's nearly dinnertime and I need to cook something."

Much to Harry's dismay, Dobby already had it out on the table. "Dobby, just let me fix dinner once. I told you, you're a free elf. You don't need to serve me or Tom." Harry said, looking at the elf. Tom studied the odd, elfish creature in front of him, unconsciously moving back a bit when Dobby moved closer to him.

"I loves looking after Harry Potter sir. I want to help you." Dobby responded as he put the last dish on the table.

" Thanks Dobby, but really, let me cook for you once." Harry said. "Tom, this is Dobby. He's a friend of mine. Don't be scared, he won't hurt you."

"What is he?" Tom asked bluntly. Those large eyes creeped him out.

"Dobby is a house elf. If he wasn't free, he would act as a wizard's butler and maid …Oh come on now, Dobby, eat with us!" Harry motioned a chair out for Dobby. Tom shot another glance at Dobby before he hesitantly sat down. Tom was silent for most of the meal, scarfing down the food. While he had eaten enough at the orphanage, the food at Harry's was spectacular. He listened though as Harry and Dobby talked about mundane things such as the weather and things that needed to get done around the house.

" You can stay here or go do something else." Harry suddenly said. Tom looked down to see that his plate was empty. He chided himself for looking so eager at his first meal at Harry's. " Do you want more food?" Harry asked, looking at the boy.

" No, I'm full. I'm going to go read one of the new books." Tom responded as he got up.

" Lights out at ten, ok." Harry told him, looking at him sternly. Harry doubted the boy wouldn't argue with him, but Tom just said he would go to bed at ten and left. Harry was grateful that the boy wasn't going to argue with him. Tom was probably scared to revert to his old ways for fear that he would be sent back to Wool's orphanage. Unfortunately, Harry did not know the extent of the boy's nightmares that were yet to come.


	4. Chapter 4

The Lion and the Snake

Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters of places created by J. K. Rowling, and I do not make any money off of this.

Tom hustled to his room and opened the drawers in his wardrobe, looking for pajamas. In the first drawer he opened, he found underwear and socks piled neatly within it. Another one held swim and athletic wear, and the one under it was empty. He put his old clothes in it, though he doubted that he would wear them again. The top drawer on the right had about three pairs of pajamas in it. He took a pair of blue striped bottoms out and a white t-shirt and changed into them. Then he went into the bathroom and washed his face and teeth so he could just turn the lights out when he got settled in bed. Afterwards, he went back to the bookshelves and studied the multitude of books.

Harry seemed to have a knack for organization. The shelves were categorized by subject and the books were alphabetized by title. While only one case held books, Harry had obviously spent a lot of money to buy so many. There was a biography section, a history section, three shelves full of fiction, and the bottom shelf was devoted to Quidditch and some place called Hogwarts. Tom assumed that some of the books were only from the Wizarding world because he didn't recognize some of the strange names. After looking at his selection, Tom grabbed a book called _Hogwarts: A History_ and climbed into bed.

Downstairs, Harry was busy filling out all the papers that he would need to show his relations to Tom in the magical world. He had contacted the ministry before he left to get the child and gotten the papers necessary so he could get the adoption certified as quickly as possible.

Harry threw some floor powder into the fireplace and stuck his head inside.

" Hey, Hermione, can you stop snogging Ron for two minutes and help me out here?" He called out, choosing to stare at a flower vase instead of the image of his two best friends making out fervently.

"Omph…Harry, What's wrong? Is Tom ok?" she asked, looking at the fireplace as Ron looked at Harry in concern. They quickly untangled themselves from each other, desperately trying to collect themselves.

"Tom's fine. The problem are the adoption papers for the magical world. I have no idea how to transfer some of this stuff. Can I just come in so you can take a look for yourself?" Harry asked.

"Um sure, will Tom be alright by himself?"

" He should be fine. He's just reading right now and then he's going to bed." "Tom, I'm going to make a quick trip to a friend's place really quickly. I'll be gone for about an hour. Will you be alright?" Harry yelled up the stairs. He heard a muffled yes and flooed into Ron and Hermione's room.

An hour and a half later, Harry landed back in his home. Thankfully, Hermione had figured out what to do with the papers and helped him finish them so he could owl them to the ministry in the morning. He looked at his now soot covered clothes and then up the fireplace, promising himself that he would get Dobby to help him clean it the next day. After he showered and changed into his pajamas, he went into Tom's room to see if he had kept his word and gone to bed.

Harry almost laughed when he walked in. Tom was lying in his bed, snoring softly. _Hogwarts: A History_ lay on his face, his small nose kept his page marked. At least the child had put his pajamas on before getting in bed. Harry gently removed the book from Tom's face, making sure to mark his place with a bookmark. He then tucked the covers over the boy and hesitantly placed a small kiss on the boy's forehead. He flinched when Tom moved, but he just turned a little more on his side and grasped the covers with his fingers. Asleep, it was hard to believe that the handsome boy in front of him would eventually become a dark lord in a different timeline. He then turned out the lamp by Tom's bed and closed the door. Harry then slipped into his bedroom and fell into a deep sleep.

It was about three and a half hours later that Harry woke to a startling scream. Grabbing his wand, Harry followed the sound into Tom's room. Tom was thrashing violently in his bed, his gangly legs tangled in his sheets, mangled cries escaping from his throat. Harry was almost afraid to approach him; usually it was him who woke up violently from the darkness of dreams, not the other way around. After placing his wand on Tom's bookcase, Harry turned on the lamp beside Tom's bed and gingerly sat down next to the child.

Harry knew from experience that any sort of physical touch in this stage would only frighten the child more, so he called out to the boy until Tom's eyes opened and the boy tearfully looked up at him. Harry thought Tom would reach for him or at least acknowledge him, but he just stared at him with glazed eyes, still haunted by his dreams.

"Tom, Tom, it's ok, it's ok." Harry cooed as he lifted the child into his arms and sat him on his lap, wincing as he noticed that the boy had wet himself. He hugged Tom to his chest, rocking back and forth on the bed as he tried to comfort him. After a while, Tom suddenly threw his arms around the older boy, burying his head into Harry's shoulder, and allowed himself the comfort of Harry's presence as he cried.

Harry rocked the child for what seemed like hours, his heart breaking in empathy as he heard Tom's cries. This is probably the first time that Tom had been held like this and been allowed to show his emotions this late at night; at the orphanage, Harry suspected that the matron woke Tom up and calmed him down as hurriedly as possible so she could get back to sleep herself. He was almost certain that Tom was never allowed to cry as long as he needed to. As Harry held the boy, he remembered how he felt after horrible nightmares at his age. No one had ever tried to comfort him or show him that they cared; his Uncle Vernon only came in to bellow at him to stop waking the house up. If he failed to do so, he would have been beaten and left without food for the next day. These memories alone helped Harry forget for the moment who Tom would have grown up to be and see him for the mere child he was as he rubbed the boy's back and whispered soothing assurances in his ear.

Tom hated himself for waking up a sobbing mess in the middle of the night like a bloody three-year-old. He hated himself more for wetting his bed, even though he was asleep when he did so. And he hated himself the most though for failing to refuse Harry's comfort. He liked to think of himself as independent and mature, a boy who could survive with no one. Yet he had fallen into the temptation of Harry's arms because, just once, he wanted to experience the feelings of security and the warmness of one that cared for him. While Mrs. Cole would sometimes hold him after a nightmare, she usually did it only to shush him. Her patience was not as great at night as it was in the day. So, despite what his pride ordered him to do and the humiliation he felt, Tom unwillingly wrapped his arms around Harry's neck and wept.

Harry finally felt the boy's sobs die down as he continued to rub circles on his back. Since Tom's face was still hidden in the crook of his neck he managed to free one arm to wandlessly clean his sheets. Since Tom was still adjusting to magic and in an incredibly vulnerable state, Harry didn't to let him see magic until the morning. He figured that it would be more calming for Tom to live as he had all his life. Harry then picked Tom up and grabbed another pair of underwear and pajama bottoms. He carried him into the bathroom and sat on the toilet, standing Tom up in front of him. Tom continued to bury his head in Harry's neck as Harry took his soiled bottoms off and helped him redress in a new pair. Tom's face reddened in humiliation; he never let anymore know directly when he wet the bed. He assumed that they noticed when they found the pile of dirty sheets in the laundry area, but Tom never told anyone when he had an accident. He avoided eye contact with Harry as the older boy slipped his hand into his and led him back to his bedroom.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Harry questioned softly, his eyes looking at Tom's worn face. He gently lowered Tom back into the bed. Tom forced himself to look into the man's eyes and, to his surprise, had a small desire to tell him. Harry had already seen him in naked from the waist down and had comforted him when he was sobbing like a toddler from a nightmare. He might as well tell him about the dreams. Yet he couldn't; he had killed the red haired woman who spun with the man with the glasses, the couple in the picture that hung in Harry's hallway. He couldn't tell Harry. So he just shook his head.

Harry bent down and placed another kiss on the boy's head and left to leave when he barely heard Tom's voice.

"Can you stay until I fall asleep again…please?" Tom whispered as his pride chided him for looking so weak and helpless. Yet Harry came and sat down on his bed, stroking his hair until he fell asleep again.

Tom looked much less stern when he acted like a child, Harry noted, more like a child should at his age. He didn't look like a potential serial killer; he just looked like a child who had endured too much in his short life. Tom wouldn't even be going to Hogwarts in the fall; he would be going to the local primary school for wizards until the next year. Much to Harry's relief, Tom fell asleep again quickly. Harry stroked the boy's dark hair once last time and then silently went back into his room to catch up on his sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

The Lion and the Snake

Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I don't own any of J.K. Rowling's characters or settings. I do not make a profit off of this either.

*Mature content regarding abuse in this chapter *

Tom continued to have nightmares into the next week, so much so that Harry started staying up every night to read until the inevitable screams would begin again. He would then race into Tom's room to scoop the boy into his arms, rocking him and soothing him until Tom's cries lessened. Afterwards, Harry would grab yet another pair of pajama bottoms and a pair of thick underpants and carry Tom into the bathroom to change him once again. As he did each night, Harry would ask Tom what he dreamed about, and Tom always refused. Then Harry stroke Tom's hair until his breathing evened, and then tip toe out of the room to crawl into his own bed.

Before this cycle of events would happen, Harry was forced to endure the perils of a parent whose child refused to go to bed. Tom always argued that he was too old to go to sleep at ten o'clock, but Harry knew it was because of the nightmares. Still, Harry dreaded ten pm. Tom would drag out his night time routine, taking forever to bathe and brush his teeth. He would argue with Harry about the thick underwear that the older man sat out for him after his bath. Once Harry could get Tom into bed, the boy would demand books and stories, throwing great tantrums when Harry left the room in exhaustion. Tom would still be crying and kicking (looking like a worn out toddler who was too frustrated due to lack of sleep) when Harry would come back in, a cup of chamomile tea in his hand to sip while he patted the child to sleep. It was after that when Harry would quietly escape the room to await the terrors of the night.

Tom's nightmares frightened Harry. After a particularly bad night, he suddenly had the uneasy feeling of helplessness. Was he good of enough for Tom? Would he be able to give Tom the childhood he needed? He lay in his bed; tossing and turning, pondering his self worth when he finally decided to end his restlessness and dragged himself once again to the fireplace.

"Sweet Merlin, Harry, do you know what time it is? It's THREE AM IN THE MORNING!" Ron shouted as he peered at his friend's face. He and Hermione had just had the most perfect day together. In the morning they ventured into muggle London to sightsee. Ron enjoyed it, even though Hermione talked incessantly about each historical site ("Ron, I read in X book about X and…"). They found a lovely little café with what must have been the best tea in England to eat lunch, and the afternoon was spent shopping in all the quaint alleys. They ended the night by attending a performance of _Julius Caesar_ , which was absolutely phenomenal. After they returned, the two fell on thr couch and delighted themselves in their own way until they fell asleep in each other's arms.

"Shhh…don't you dare wake Tom up. I just got him to fall back to sleep" Harry whispered, a tone of urgency in his voice. "Do you think I can do this?"

"Do I think you can do what?" Ron asked as he tugged on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt as quickly as he could. He then quickly put another blanket on his wife as he scooted closer to the fireplace.

"To raise Tom. I don't know if I can give him what he needs." Harry whispered. Ron studied his friend's face. There were dark circles under Harry's eyes and his looked ragged. He looked as if he hadn't slept at all in the past week. "He had a nightmare again tonight…he woke me up, moaning unintelligible words in his sleep. Then, when he woke up…the cries were horrible Ron. And he's been wetting the bed. He refuses to tell me what he was dreaming about though…I think I've been doing all I can but is it enough? Will he ever trust me? Is it already too late?"

"Harry, you know it's not too late. Just give him time to adjust, I mean, he had lived in virtual hell his whole life and has learned to be suspicious of everyone and punish those who he thinks deserve it. Then you, a stranger, comes along and gives him a home. He probably doesn't know what to do. While he puts up a brave front you know that he's still just a little boy. Harry, Tom isn't Voldermort right now."

Hermione was brought out of her dreams by voices, which whispered quickly and quietly. "Ron…stop talking and come back to bed" she said, reaching out for Ron. She awakened immediately when she noticed who Ron was talking to and immediately covered herself with a blanket, hoping he hadn't seen anything. "What's wrong?"

Harry proceeded to tell her about Tom's nightmares and the trouble of getting Tom to go to sleep. "Harry, you're going to be fine. I agree with Ron; you just have to give him time. Maybe you should take him to a a specialist though…he's bound to have some psychological and emotional problems after what he's been through. Aren't you taking him to St. Mungos tomorrow for a checkup anyways? They can probably refer you to someone who can do therapy with Tom."

"Yes...thank you. I'm sorry I woke you up at this time of night, I was just getting worried and anxious about the whole situation."

"It's alright, all parents go through some version of this. You should go to bed now…you look horrid. You'll get help in the morning I'm sure." With that, Hermione closed the floo connection as she and Ron snuggled together once more.

The next morning came quickly, much too quickly. Harry awoke to the sounds of clattering pots. What on earth, he thought, as he threw a bathrobe on and trodded downstairs.

"Merlin Dobby, what are you doing, fixing breakfast for the army?" Harry asked, staring at the elf.

"Dobby wants to make Harry and Tom a good breakfast before you went shopping. Didn't know what Tom liked, so I fixed everything I know." Dobby replied as he took out a pan of waffles.

"We would have been fine…really, you shouldn't have done this. But thank you..."

"You are very welcome Harry Potter, very welcome. Dobby loves taking care of Harry Potter."

"Just don't cook anymore, ok? Here, come eat with me…" Harry pulled out the chair and grabbed a plate and put it in front of the elf.

Tom woke up, cranky from the loss of sleep he had. After dressing, he wandered into the kitchen to find it packed with food.

"Do you always eat this much?" he asked, staring at the food.

"No, but Dobby wanted to make you your favorite breakfast foods. The only problem was that he didn't know what they were." Harry answered after swallowing down a forkful of waffle.

To be honest, Tom didn't have a favorite food of any sort. He just ate whatever he was given. However, he didn't want Harry and the elf to know how pathetic he was so he grabbed a plate of what he thought was blueberry pancakes and sat down. The three ate in silence, until Dobby got up to preserve the rest of the food.

"Tom, I made an appointment with a healer today, just so I can make sure you're ok. I know they gave me a health record, but I just think it's a good idea to go ahead and have a check up. Afterwards, we can have lunch in Diagon Alley and then set up a bank account for you at Gringotts and go shopping. Does that sound good to you?" Harry asked as he got up to clean the dishes.

"I guess." Tom shrugged and continued to eat. He wasn't thrilled about going to visit a doctor (or a "healer" as Harry preferred to call it). The only one he knew had been quite rough with his body, his only intent to make sure Tom wasn't near death and to get through the line of orphans as quickly as possible. He listened to Dobby as he told Harry his plans for the day (checking out the manor to see if it could be renovated). After Dobby left, Harry went to a cabinet and pulled out a phial.

"We're not going to floo to St. Mungos, which is where the doctor's office is located. We're going to apparate…I can't really explain it…you'll just have to trust me. Do you want to bring a book in case if we have to wait?" Harry asked, looking at the boy. He mailed Tom's papers to the ministry using an owl a friend had loaned him as Tom grabbed _Hogwarts: A History_ from his room. He would need to get an owl soon; he couldn't use Ursula Prince's owl forever. When Tom appeared on the stairs again, Harry took his hand and they apparated to St. Mungos.

Tom felt sick to his stomach as soon as they landed. He felt as if he had been squeezed through a tight tube. To his horror, he felt a surge of nausea and the next thing he knew he was on his knees as he vomited. He felt Harry grab his head and felt some sort of liquid being poured into his mouth. He angrily wiped the tears off of his face as he stared at Harry.

"Sorry about that, it happens to everyone when they apparate for the first time." Harry said as he magically cleaned the vomit away.

"What did you just pour into my mouth?" Tom demanded, glaring at the older boy.

"It's a stomach soother…kinda like Pepto-Bismol, except it works a lot better." Harry said as they walked inside St. Mungos. Tom couldn't help but stare at all witches and wizards as they went about. He almost gagged when Harry led him into the pediatric offices; they were painted in bright colors and there were a ton of kids. He tried to ignore his surroundings as he opened his book and read as Harry signed him in. He leaned over to see what Harry was reading, but could only see the words _blood wards._ He would have to ask Harry what those were.

It seemed like forever until they were called in. A nurse who looked too friendly came in to take Tom's temperature, check his hearing and eyesight, and take a urine sample. Afterwards, the doctor came knocked on the door and came in the room. Harry made Tom wait outside the room as he talked to the healer about Tom's past, his limited exposure to magic, and the nightmares that occurred each night. Tom tried to listen in by pressing his ear against the door, but found that he couldn't.

The "healer" seemed nice enough, Tom supposed. He was younger than he expected, young and lean. He had short blonde hair and dark brown eyes, and his name was engraved into his jacket. After Tom had stripped and put on an examination gown, the healer checked his eyes, nose, mouth and throat to make sure there were no irregularities. Tom's mouth fell open when the healer waved a stick, said a few words, and the sound of his heartbeat was able to be heard by all those in the room. That was the first time he had seen a wand; Harry only did magic wandlessly around the boy because he was still adjusting to the magical world. Tom shifted uncomfortably when the healer opened the front of the gown, wincing when the healer accidently poked a rib that hadn't healed correctly after a particularly gruesome fight. Harry didn't miss the way Tom's thumb came close to his mouth as the healer gently pushed on the boy's stomach, which was still tender from the apparition. Neither Harry nor the healer were prepared for the last part of the exam though. Tom closed his eyes tightly and chewed on his lip, laying rigidly still as the healer pulled his legs up and separated them so he could examine the boy's genitals. The boy was barely breathing. Harry narrowed his eyes as he watched the healer from his position by the boy's head, concerned when a camera was summoned. The notepad, much like the one Rita Skeeter used back when he was a teenager, had been writing notes down during the entire examination but now it was writing furiously. After the healer was finished, he fastened the front of Tom's gown and pulled Harry aside while a nurse came in to give Tom a few vaccinations against Wizarding illnesses.

"What have you found?" Harry asked, a sense of urgency in his tone.

"You adopted him a week ago, from a muggle orphanage, correct?" the healer asked.

"Yes, that is correct. What's wrong?" Harry asked, this time even more urgently. He glanced at Tom, who was thrashing wildly on the table as the nurse tried to give him the vaccine.

"I believe Tom was sexually molested in past. There were signs present when I examined him and most children do not behave as he did when I examine them in that area. Were there any men who worked for the orphanage?" the healer asked gently, noticing the look of horror that shone in Harry's green eyes.

"I honestly do not know, the only woman I've met was Mrs. Cole, who was the head of the orphanage. I didn't see other staff present though." Harry replied.

"I'll have to send this to the ministry to be reported. There will probably be an investigation, but right now all I can do is give you the contact information for Pierre Kingston. He's the best we have for helping Tom through therapy. This is probably why Tom's been having nightmares." The healer said, writing the contact information on a card and handing it to Harry.

"Thank you so much" Harry said as he left. Tom was sitting on the table, fully dressed by the time Harry got back. He wordlessly got down and followed Harry out the door.

Lunch was better than the checkup. Harry avoided talking about the results of the check up, deciding it was better to talk about it in the safety of his home. Tom had perked up considerably once they had left, and the two had a marvelous lunch at what would later become the Leaky Cauldron. He seemed to want to avoid the impending conversation as much as Harry did.

After lunch, Harry took Tom to the bank to show him his account. Tom liked the goblins; they did their jobs well and could be manipulated easily. The Peverell vault took his breath away. It was everything he dreamed of, contained in a few rooms inside the vault. Gold and silver were everywhere. Harry withdrew some coins, which Tom learned were called galleons, and took Tom to the vault he sat up for him to finalize the opening of the account.

Afterward, they went shopping. Harry took him to a store called Eeylops Owl Emporium to get an owl. Harry choose a beautiful white owl that resembled Hedwig while Tom got one that had brown and white feathers. Afterwards, Harry let Tom look for ten books to add to his shelves as he searched for a book on common household spells. It was in that section when he saw her, a beautiful girl with gorgeous blonde hair and the brightest blue eyes. Unfortunately, she was gone before he could work of the nerve to speak to her. After paying for his and Tom's purchases (any books that had anything to do with dark magic were left behind), Harry led Tom to Madam Malkin's to get him some dress robes. Tom disliked her immediately, she was too snippy. Harry then bought him some clothes from a children's shop to wear to school in the fall, which seemed to contain the brightest clothing Tom had ever seen. The next stop was to a toy store; which Tom thought was much too childish to visit. He moped around the shop as Harry bought him a child's potions kit (which did look interesting), some puzzles, and a train set (Mrs. Cole had told him that Tom liked trains a lot and often wished for a set to play with). The only thing that Tom had shown any interest in was a stuffed elephant, and the only way Harry knew he wanted it was by the look in the boy's eyes. They left the shop, the elephant resting safely in one of Harry's bags.

After a long, tiring day, the two flood back to Harry's house. Tom immediately retreated to his room as Harry set the owls up in the attic. Tom was exhausted, and for once did not put up a fight when Harry told him to go to sleep. He didn't dream that night either, the emotional fatigue of the day kept his nightmares at bay.

Harry smiled to himself later in the night as he watched Tom sleep, his elephant and the blanket he had brought from the orphanage cuddled to his chest. He trudged back to his own bed, dreading the conversation he would have with Tom the next day.


	6. Chapter 6

The Lion and The Snake

Ch. 6

Disclaimer: All canon material is not mine, nor do I make a profit off of it

The sun had barely risen when Harry sensed someone's presence beside him. The green eyed man shifted to his side and slowly opened his eyes, grimacing when the sharp rays of sun struck him. A small, dark haired figure stood before him at the foot of the bed, breathing deep, hitching breaths. The child fiddled nervously with his blanket, his stuffed elephant left forgotten in his room.

"Tom, what's wrong? You didn't have a nightmare, did you? I thought you knew to come wake me if you ever do" Harry asked, gazing into Tom's dark eyes. Tom shook his head, tears continuing to slide down his pale cheeks. Harry motioned for the child to come closer and then picked him up, placing him against his chest. He patted Tom's back, hoping that the repetitive motion would calm the boy. Instead, Tom's cries increased in intensity. Overcome with emotion, Tom nestled himself even further into Harry's arms, burying his face in his chest and smelling the musky scent that lingered on Harry's nightshirt. Harry sat patiently, waiting for the child to calm down enough to give him an explanation for the tears, though he had an inkling that it concerned the abuse the healer had found the previous day. Eventually Tom's tears began to lessen and he looked up at Harry.

"I…I…" he tried to tell Harry, but the words seemed to stick in his mouth. He had never told anyone about the milkman before…if he did so, it was promised that life would become worse. But he was far away from the orphanage…the milkman surely had no idea on where he was. "I didn't…I didn't want him to…to do what he…what he did. I tried to fight him, but he was…he was too strong." Tom tried to explain, tears of frustration and fear threatening to fall again. He felt strong arms tighten their hold on him.

"Who was it Tom?" Harry asked gently, thumbing the child's tears from his face. He frowned as he felt Tom shake his head, burying himself back into his chest. "It' alright Tom, you can tell me." Harry tried again.

"I don't know his name" Tom whispered. "I can't tell you…he said…he said he'll…" At that point he could not continue and continued to grip Harry's shirt.

"He won't hurt you again. I promise." Harry said, hugging the child as closely as he could. Feelings of anger and frustration rose up in his chest. A part of him wanted to shake the boy, to force out of him who had abused him in such a horrific manner. He wanted to scream, to find this man and make him pay. He didn't understand how a man could assault an innocent child, especially one with no one to defend him. He couldn't understand how Tom didn't panic when a strange man came to adopt him from the orphanage after the child had gone through what he had, yet he knew the emotional damage had to be great. The Dursley's had physically and emotionally abused him…but Harry just could not fathom the pain the little boy must feel. He settled to hold Tom until the boy became restless and anxious, ready to pretend that the morning hadn't happened.


End file.
